A Singular Concern for Charity

The crowd peaked at 350--nearly twice what party planners had expected--during Friday’s “Red Hot & Blues” benefit for children’s cancer research. The fund-raiser, hosted by the local chapter of Concern II, an L.A.-based nonprofit organization, started late (8 p.m.) and ended early (2 a.m. Saturday). In between, party-goers at the Beverly Heritage Hotel in Costa Mesa sampled from a full menu of entertainment--including psychics, karaoke singing and limbo dancing. All for a prepaid $35 (or $45 at the door).

O.C. Society: The Next Generation

Single, 30ish and power-dressed, most of the guests had the constantly-glancing-around manner of young professionals on the loose.

Concern II member Trina Cole of Costa Mesa brought her friend Karen Michnick, of Huntington Beach “because we’re both looking for a thirtysomething,” Cole said.

Taking in the sights early in the evening, Michnick concluded: “This is an upscale group--it’s a younger crowd, but it’s not slimy.”

Kelly McCaw of Anaheim came to the party with Sherrie Briggs of Yorba Linda. “We came because we understood it’s a singles’ organization,” said McCaw, a single mother of three with a full-time job.

“And this is perfect for me,” she added. “It’s a chance to meet professional people like myself and also to be in an organization that helps children. I feel so blessed and so lucky that my children are healthy.”

The Next Generation: Part II

Inevitably, some of the chapter’s erstwhile singles have paired up.

Leslie and Michael Schneider of Huntington Beach met three years ago at a Concern II benefit at the Crystal Court in Costa Mesa. He remembers it as “the night (Dodgers outfielder) Kirk Gibson hit that home run in the World Series.” She remembers that Michael and she were standing in line to have their palms read. Two years later, they were married.

Board members Laurie Cohen-Apodaca and Jonathan Abelove met through their work for Concern II. The Long Beach residents are now engaged, and their names appeared several times in the party program, notably in a one-page love note doubling as a advertisement.

The Program

The benefit started on the patio with wine- and beer-tasting, appetizer-noshing, and “psychic” fortunetelling--all accompanied by a jazz quartet. Two hours later, guests moved indoors to a ballroom decorated in theme-of-the-year red, white and blue.

Inside, jazz gave way to danceable pop spun by deejay Mark Ferrell. Between songs, Ferrell led the group in party games, including a limbo dance, a “balloon squeeze pop” (couples placed an inflated balloon between them, then squeezed together) and a round of “freeze twist” (couples danced the twist, froze each time the music stopped). Three guests also gamely took their shots singing “Mack the Knife” to taped music (the latest rage in nightspots patterned on Japan’s karaoke bars).

Proceeds from the benefit, an estimated $15,000, will fund research grants distributed annually.

Who’s Who

Tim Wilson, who heads the L.A. operation, showed up to lend support. Karen Raab and Michael Carr, co-presidents of the 4-year-old Orange County chapter, worked the crowd. Dr. Robert Chilcote, associate professor of pediatrics at UC Irvine and a past recipient of a Concern II research grant, also attended.

Among board members twisting, limboing and otherwise acting like party animals: Michael Adler, Eileen Yoelin, Larry Passo, Cheryl Cohen, Suzan Roberts, Anne DeLorenzis, Janet Zaretsky, Maria Nin and Tracy Sandler.

Another Day, Another Party

The Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa hosted a jazz concert Sunday benefiting the American Cancer Society, Orange County Unit. About 360 picnic basketeers unrolled blankets and settled into lawn chairs in Mondavi’s peaceful sculpture garden for a late afternoon concert by vocalist Stephanie Haynes and her five-piece band.

The $35-per-person event included a complimentary plate of cheeses, bread and fruit, and three drink tickets (Mondavi poured Chenin Blanc, fume blanc, white zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon). The Huntington Harbour, North Orange County, and South Coast Cancer Leagues sponsored the event, which raised an estimated $6,000.